Good Bye to Mornings on the Highline Canal Trail

In Denver all month, we walked the Highline Canal Trail every morning to catch the sun rise.

Flossy really liked spending a bit of time off leash, chasing squirrels and visiting with the ducks who shared the path and the mornings with us.

 Grasses blowing in the cool beneath the giant old cotton wood trees made shifting patterns as I thought about the day ahead, and asked for direction; for comfort sometimes.

 

Tomorrow we will be heading north and west, leaving Colorado - perhaps for the rest of our lives.

And although we are excited for the drive - who doesn't love a great summer road trip? - we are going to be sad, too.  My Father, born here, and my Mother, who raised our family, five miles from this neighborhood. 

Who ever thought we would be this old? 
Who ever knew we would travel so far?
And thank God...
we can't know these things.
We probably couldn't bear it.
 

I will be taking a little blog break now, but will be posting to my Instagram place as we travel, as well as visiting around Blogland in the interim.  Flossy and I wish all a beautiful end of May and hope to see you in early June when we get back to Seattle and whatever the future may bring.

Happy Mother's Day

We woke to drizzle and a dropping temperature in Denver this Mother's Day morning, but Flossy and I collected lots of spring sunshine on our first walk yesterday.  

Hope you enjoy this bright collection, Razt, my Mother's Day card to you.

With lots of love from Pogo, too!

Wishing all Gentle Readers a glorious Sunday, and a happy new week ahead.

Fooling Around with the Locals

While here in Denver I had a bit of time to put my new-found enthusiasm for dyeing with plants to use.  I researched a few of the neighborhood trees to make sure they were not toxic, and made a brew of bundles with sumac, cottonwood, and honey locust leaves, pods and bark.

kettle from thrift store holding bundles of cotton/linen blend also from the thrift store

My parents were intrigued and very patient.  Not much color, but a nice tea-dyed effect.  I definitely have some more learning to do!

I am heading back to the West Coast day after tomorrow, and on up to Home and Flossy on Sunday. 

Mother's studio window ledge

 

Will catch up with you here in Blogland on Sunday evening, Dogs Above willing.  Best wishes to all 'til then!

 

 

 

 

Tyvek Beads in Denver

One more post from Denver, although as I write I am in the Seattle airport on the final leg of my journey back home.  My Mom, Dad and I shared so many fun times.  How grateful I am that we all survived my troublemaker younger years – couldn’t have without their unconditional love.

acrylic on Tyvek envelop

 Making beads of acrylic-painted Tyvek is a lovely addiction we indulged in one cool, breezy morning.  We cut apart Tyvek envelops, painted them with a combination of acrylic paint and Lumiere fabric paints... 

 ...cut the dried paintings into long, narrow strips and then...

 

... twisted the strips around a bamboo skewer.  Some we wrapped with embroidery thread.  The twisted strips were then zapped delicately with a heat gun (ventilation, please).  Push the melted twist off the skewer and the result is a wonderful bead.  

Bet you can't stop with one!

Thanks again to you, Razt and Dad,  for all the love in Denver!

Rediscovering My Inner Raven

My Mother and I rediscovered our love of beading on fabric when we participated in Larkin Jean Van Horn’s ‘Beaded Boxes’ class at TACtile in Denver last Sunday.  

 

TACtile – Textile Arts Center – is a wonderful facility and well worth the time to visit if you have the opportunity.  

Mother, Larkin and other workshop participants working away

I am so lucky to share my Mother's love and passion for the arts (and to be able to borrow from her large-ish bead stash)!

These are the sides of my three-sided box, with beading still in progress.

 

I think it has been over a year since I did a beading project.  I am really having fun reconnecting with my inner raven!  What activity have you re-discovered lately?